Release
by Winterfire567
Summary: PG for some language. How did the Sohmas get thier curse? Will Tohru be able to lift it and live happily ever after in Shigure's house?
1. Default Chapter

Release

Disclaimer: I do not own any of the following characters (except for the ones I create); they belong to their original creators, so don't go around saying that I created Fruits Basket or anything, because I didn't. All of you out there looking for a lemon fanfic ain't gonna find it here.

A/N: This Fic takes place after the end of the anime, so if you don't know the story, too bad. Go out and buy the anime, dammit!

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Chapter One : A Gift for Kyou

It was a rather quiet Saturday afternoon at Shigure's house, and Kyou had just gotten himself out of bed. His orange hair messily shook with his movements as he stretched. He looked down at his alarm clock, which had, yet again, failed to wake him up on time. It was now almost one o'clock and Kyou growled growing evermore angry.

"YOU DAMNED, STUPID CLOCK!" he shouted as he threw it out the open window. Not feeling much better, he stomped down the stairs to grab some food before disappearing for the rest of the afternoon. As he opened the door to the fridge, something hit him in the back of the head. Hard. He flopped on the ground and looked to where his attacker had been standing. Yuki was holding Kyou's now smashed up clock to him.

"Next time make sure you look where you throw it, you stupid cat," Yuki said rather calmly while pointing to the large clock-shaped indent on the back of his skull. He tossed it at Kyou's feet and at the counter unpacking the groceries Shigure had sent him out to buy.

"Next time, I'll make sure it hits you right between the eyes, you damn rat!" Kyou muttered as he walked away from Yuki finishing off the banana we had managed to get before Yuki's leg connected with the base of his skull. He tossed the peel in the trash and walked outside. On the front step, he found a package that had his name on it, and another with Yuki's. He picked the packages up and headed back inside. He headed back to the kitchen where Yuki had just finished putting the groceries away. "Here," said Kyou in a flat, monotone voice as he tossed one of the elongated packages to Yuki.

Yuki, who still had his back turned, turned around just in time to catch the box with one hand. "What's this, I wonder?" Yuki said, staring at the box with inquisitive purple eyes.

"I dunno, but look," said Kyou holding up his box, "I got one, too."

"Is that right..."Yuki's voice trailed off, while he stood there, still entranced by the box as if it had him under a spell. "Well, I might as well open it later, I still have to tend to my garden." Yuki walked out the back door in the direction of the garden he tended, usually with Tohru. Kyou stared after him and shrugged. He turned back to the package he had laid on the counter beside the still unpackaged groceries and opened the cardboard box. He held the box at a slight tilt and out slid a letter. He pick it up and read it.

_Hello Kyou-kun,_

_I know it's been a while, but I hope you will accept this small token of friendship between us. It's not much, I know, but I had to save up for a year to get it. I REALLY hope you like it._

_-Atchika Sohma_

Kyou stood there in awe still holding the paper and staring at it in disbelief. "No... it can't be...Atchika's back in town!"

"Oh, really, now?" Kyou turned around and there was Shigure staring at him with a playful look in his eyes, "I hear you two got on quite well in the old days."

"And just what is that supposed to mean?" Kyou said staring Shigure straight in the face.

"Oh, nothing except the fact that you still care for her, huh?" Shigure said, his smile widening on his face.

"No, I don't. I wish you would quit saying crap like that...you're really starting to piss me off...," Kyou said, his anger levels rising.

"Instead of wasting energy on me, why not use it to see what Atchika sent you."

"Hell no! I'll open it later!" Kyou yelled as he ran out the door, leaving the letter on the floor.

"Kyou-kun! Wait!" Shigure shouted after him, "Oh well, at least he left the package here..." Shigure dumped out the rest of the contents of the box. A few pieces of plastic fell out along with a long something wrapped in paper. He unwrapped it and gasped, "Well, this _is_ surprising."

End chapter one.

Sorry about this part being so short, but I'm kind of having a bit of trouble...sorry. But don't worry! I never have writer's blocks for TOO long, so wait about a week and I'll have a bit more for you! See ya next time!


	2. Atchika, the Rooster

Chapter Two: Atchika, the Rooster

Tohru walked out into the fresh afternoon air. She took a deep breath and walked in the direction of Shigure's house. _I hope Shigure won't mind me taking too long to prepare lunch, after all, I HAVE been out all morning getting groceries... I wonder what I should make? Oh, well, I'll everyone when I get home._ Tohru rounded the last bend in the woods and was in sight of the house when she spotted something laying on the ground beneath a bush.

"I wonder what that could be...?" Tohru asked herself, as she came ever-closer to the reddish-brown mass laying on a mass of leaves like a pillow. A rooster! "What in the world is a rooster doing here?" Tohru said aloud, and, as she did, the rooster picked it's head off of the leaf pile and stared at her. Tohru smiled and said, "I'm glad to see you aren't hurt...do you need some help there, little guy?"

Just as Tohru finished her sentence, a large cloud of smoke enveloped the rooster with a "Poof!" Tohru was of course surprised as this rooster was replaced with a naked woman of about 16 with flaming red hair and dark brown eyes. She was of medium build and her hair went down to her waist."Uh, I'm sorry could you give me a moment?" said the woman, sounding as surprised as Tohru looked at this point.

"Sure," Tohru said, still shaking from the transformation. She turned around and looked for the woman's clothes, finding them nearby hung on a tree as if to dry. She handed them to the woman and said, "I'm guessing you're part of the Sohma family, right?"

"Huh? How did you know?" asked the red-head, taking the clothes out of Tohru's outstretched hand.

"It wasn't too hard to figure out after you transformed back into a woman from a rooster, you know?" Tohru responded.

"Ah! So you know about the curse then, do you?" the Sohma said, with a smile forming on her face.

"Yeah, I'm Tohru Honda. I'm living here at Shigure-san's house with Yuki-kun and Kyou-kun, I'm very pleased to meet you..." Tohru said, leaving the sentence open for the Sohma to introduce herself.

The woman stepped out the behind the tree she had used for dressing, now fully dressed and wearing a pair of sunglasses. "Atchika Sohma. Very nice to meet you, Honda-san," Atchika said, with a friendly smile that seemed to warm the very air around them.

Just then a cold breeze swept by the new acquaintances, causing both of them to sneeze. "I think we've been standing out in the cold too long. Come on inside and I'll make us some warm soup to eat, Atchika-chan," Tohru said, smiling to hide the fact that she was shivering.

"That sounds wonderful. Here, let me help you with the groceries," Atchika said, holding her hand out to grab a couple of the bags.

"Thank you," said Tohru, handing the lighter bags to Atchika.

They walked inside and set the groceries down on the counter inside the kitchen. Tohru took out a large pot and said, "Atchika-chan, what kind of soup do you like?"

"I like leek soup, but I'll have any kind you make, Honda-san," Atchika said, looking around the kitchen.

"Leek soup it is!" Tohru shouted, rolling up her sleeves. She opened the door to the fridge and found some leeks on the top shelf, "Do you mind if I put some beef in it Kyou-kun won't eat it any other way, and I like to have enough for everyone..."

"Sure, Honda-san, I don't mind at all. After all you ARE cooking this meal, aren't you?" the red maiden asked, with a smirk plastered to her face.

Tohru smiled and put the fixings for the soup into the pot. "Tohru-kun, is that you? Are you back already? I'm starving, what's for lunch?" Shigure was walking toward the kitchen because of all the noise Tohru and Atchika were making, "Oh, Tohru-kun! You're back! Thank heavens! I thought I was going to starve to death!" His attention then directed to Atchika, sitting at the table, "Ah! I see you've brought a friend, and who might you be, young lady?" He asked Atchika, his eyes starting to fill with that perverted glint.

"I didn't suppose you would remember me, Shigure-kun. After all it _has_ been ten years," Atchika said with a sigh.

"No...it couldn't be...Atchika?" Shigure said, with look of surprise on his face, "Well, welcome back! We got your message, but we didn't expect you here for a couple more days. I can't say I'm really surprised, though. You're here to see Kyou-kun right?" Atchika became silent and nodded ever-so-slightly.

"I thought so..."

"Oh, Honda-san, you're back," Yuki said as he came into the kitchen carrying a basket full of leeks, carrots and strawberries. "Nice to see you again, Atchika." He made his way across to the counter and on his way something dropped out of his other hand.

"Same to you, Yuki-kun," Atchika said, as the smile made its way back onto her face, "I see you got the package I sent you." Yuki pick up the object and held it out slightly.

"Yes, it's very nice, thank you," Yuki said patting the handle of his new Katana, "I like it very much."

"I'm so glad. It took me a year and a half to save up for those." Just then, a clunk made them all jump a bit and they turned to see Kyou standing in the doorway.

"Atchika..." Kyou said, breathing heavily.

"I have a feeling this is going to get interesting," said Shigure, as he rose up out of his seat, "and now this writer's block is finally gone..." Shigure left the room leaving the others to stare at each other while the water in the pot boiled all of the ingredients Tohru had thrown into the pot; just to make a leek soup to be enjoyed.

End Chapter Two

There! It's finally done! That chapter took me a while to do. But don't worry I'll be back soon with more...if I get more reviews! So just make it easier and show that you care! Review my fan fic!

See you all next time!

Winterfire.


	3. chapter 3

Chapter 3: Lunch with the Sohmas

"Hello, Kyou-. It's nice to see you again," Atchika said softly, blushing as she did so, "Did you get the gift I sent you?"

"Of course I did, Atchika-chan," Kyou said, his fists balling up, "What in Hell are you doing here!"

"I need to talk to you, you know, to catch up. It _has_ been almost ten years since we last saw each other, and I want to become reacquainted with you. There is so much to go through; and so little time. So tell, me, what have you been up to?"

"Hold on Atchika-chan, we can talk later," Kyou said, eyeing the steaming pot on the stove, "first, let's have some lunch."

"And just what_ is_ for lunch, Honda-san?" Yuki asked, breaking in to the conversation.

"Ah, that's right! I forgot, but today we're having leek soup! Sorry in advance, Kyou-kun!" Tohru said, getting up from her chair to tend to the soup on the stove.

"Iie, it's all right, Tohru-chan," Kyou said, while thinking about how much he hated leeks. After about ten more minutes, through an oddly comfortable silence, the table was set. Each place at the table had a bowl for the leek soup, which steamed for a while after being served. There was a separate bowl for the rice. Tohru made it with every meal, whether it was in rice ball form or a bowl; or just served as a bed for some other solid meat or vegetable product.

The usually unmistakable aroma of cooked leeks was covered with the scent of beef and thick soup broth. This, along with the smell rice with a dab of soy sauce made its way up Kyou's nose as he inhaled deeply, "You know, for leek soup, this doesn't smell all too bad," he said, with a smile pushing its way onto his face.

"Oh," Yuki said, with a monotone voice, as usual, "does that mean that I won't have to force-feed you again?"

"Can it, you damn nezumi," Kyou said, his anger rising again.

"I can't believe you two still fight," Atchika broke in, with a giggle, "just like the cat and mouse you are."

Kyou rose up from the table, having just finished his lunch, and headed for the kitchen, "Atchika, you said you wanted to talk, right?" Atchika nodded and Kyou continued, "Then meet me on the roof after you're done."

"OK...?" Atchika responded, a little confused by what Kyou had just said. Kyou headed into the kitchen put his dishes away and went out through the back door. After that, it took Atchika another twenty minutes to finish her bowl of rice.

End Chapter Three

There it is! Sorry once again for this chapter being so short. I promise the next one will be longer. I'm just trying to build some suspense so bear with me, please! Be patient and post some more reviews! It always inspires me to see what others think of my story thus far. Thanks again for your continued support!

Winterfire


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